Pages

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

"Under the Sea" Birthday Party!







































This party's been splashing about in my archives for more than half a year. It celebrates the day my twin granddaughters became young ladies at the age of three. The majority of the ideas, the planning, and the work are the successes of their talented mommy, my oldest daughter, Mary Jo. But, like all of our celebratory events, tasks were shared with daddy, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. I love this aspect of our family. We work together, allowing the children to experience extended family support while witnessing how creative cooperation results in outcomes that reach far beyond the ordinary!

And, the extraordinary began as guests arrived! Twin mermaids coyly greeted them, beckoning beneath a bubbling balloon arch to a bounty of bouncing beyond!





















Greeting guests with giggles galore....
the prettiest pair of merry little mermaids!























"Hello, friendly octopus!"
But exotic sea creatures weren't confined to outdoor decor.....




















Floating mystically above the buffet table, home crafted jellyfish created an ethereal atmosphere....






















Clustered beneath them, "crabby croissants" eyeballed the crowd....






















But I think the kids had their own eyes on a spread of desserts that spilled "beach candy" and "sand" onto an inviting tray. Individual pail sets, also pictured at top, were my contribution. Snorkeling on over to my favorite crafty food blogger's site, Hungry Happenings, I took inspiration from Beth's clever starfish design. I substituted sugar cookies for her recipe, pressing them, thinly iced, into finely ground graham cracker crumbs to duplicate her whimsical results. Sand pail sets were filled with crumbled spice cake and presented to the kids for dessert. They "shoveled it in" using scoops as utensils with varying, but adorable! - degrees of messy success!

Little ladies munched their lunch at an outdoor table laden with pretty party favors. They found dainty starfish wands, beautifully embellished tiaras....





















and golden chests of treasure holding sparkling strings of pearls and more!





















I had a second job, too. A crafty take-home project! We filled plastic jars with tinted, glittery water and floated toy fish and creatures of the sea amidst a tangle of foliage and a sprinkling of shells.




















I've been told that even today, months later, affectionate shakes of these sample slices of the sea still hold gentle swirls of fascination!













































Who but resourceful mommy would find a rental bounce house topped by a trio of dolphins? This towering attraction not only set the theme, but provided "oceans" of lively fun for guests who ranged in age from one year to six.



















Our lovely hostess also thoughtfully provided a peaceful place to shovel for shells when bouncing wore you out!....






















....because even energetic older brothers needed an occasional break from the liveliness that marked the third year anniversary of the doubling of the twin population in this happy family!





















Party Notes!
So, where did we get all this cool stuff? We're happy to share! None of these sources are sponsored.

Balloon arch custom made and installed by a local party supply and rental company that also provided the bounce house.

Mermaid costumes from Chasing Fireflies online children's clothing retailer.

Plastic pail sets and treasure chests from Oriental Trading Company. Mary Jo spray painted the chests, which are sold in black.

She also crafted jellyfish from party lanterns and streamers, assembled tiaras with lace ribbon accents, and made starfish wands from materials purchased at Michael's.

Aquarium jars (6" plastic, 32 ounce) from Just Artifacts online party supply retailer. Plastic sea creatures from Hobby Lobby.

Visit Hungry Happenings for a bounty of clever food crafting ideas for every special occasion. It's a real treasure trove for grandmas who like to "swim upstream" against the usual world of ordinary!

And, finally, visit Mary Jo's blog, Mrs. Party Planner, for many more profiles of creative, high energy family party fun!

27 comments:

  1. Even at just 3 yo, I think they will remember this party!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello, what a cute theme for the twin's birthday party. I like the cute mermaids, just adorable. The foods and treats all look wonderful. I am sure a fun time was had by all. Have a happy Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What an amazing event. Your family sure does throw wonderful parties. Lucky kids!

    Your starfish cookies are so adorable. I'm so happy to have inspired you. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. OMG I just cracked up through the whole post! You guys are amazing. The twins are just ADORABLE ( now that you are not hiding them any more, ha ha HA! you'll remember what I am talking about :)

    This was just adorable in every way!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This whole party is adorable. I love the theme and all the little details you added.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just when I think you could not possibly come up with any thing more spectacular..you do!!! LOVE this party theme and all of your special touches.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this idea! Pinned & shared!

    ReplyDelete
  8. what a fantastic party - and really age appropriate! I loved their mermaid outfits and the starfish buckets and the sparkle shakers - all beautifully done - congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This party is darling! I love all the details. Will be pinning for sure. Thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  10. So much fun! I love those cookies and the display. thanks for sharing on #FridayFrivolity

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great party (and what adorable grand daughters!)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love this party idea. My granddaughter loves Ariel, this Under the Sea theme would be perfect. I love the crabby croissants and the arched balloons with those 2 adorable mermaids. So festive.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a grand idea. Your grandkids are the luckiest on this earth - a family that loves each other and pitches in to make such fun memories. I love all the ideas - the lantern jellyfish really caught my eye. And love the crabby croissants.

    ReplyDelete
  14. OMG - this is so incredibly cute!! I love the ideas - And I'd love it if you shared it at the DIY party at the Pleasures of the NW! (Also had to pin this!)

    http://www.pleasuresofthenw.com/diy-party-no-5/

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love this! I especially enjoyed your crabby croissants! Clever, clever, clever! That party looks like it was loads of fun for everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  16. wow...they are so cute.


    Love the under the sea theme food too

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ok that was amazing! From the twin mermaid outfits to the desert in a plastic pail and crab croissants. Wonderful ideas and great inspiration. The girls looks so adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  18. what a refreshing idea for a birthday party. thanks for sharing. love the photos.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow!! So cute!!Thank you for linking up with us at #HomeMattersParty. We would love to have you again next week.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AMAZING!! I'm in love this those sandy starfish cookies! Fantastic job!

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a party. Wish I had someone young enough to have one for. all the grands are adults now but we have had a great many parties with 11 grans.

    ReplyDelete
  22. SO sorry to be so late to the party but wow! Looks like everyone had a wonderful time. You are such a great family -- all very crafty and all working together to make every event better than the one before! You are an awesome Grandma!

    ReplyDelete
  23. What an adorable theme for a party.

    Thanks for sharing with SYC.

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a fun party! I absolutely love those crab sandwiches...too cute!

    ReplyDelete
  25. It's in the genes - creativity and the very best parties around. Oh my gosh, what a celebration. I thought these kids couldn't get any cuter or you and your family get any more creative, but you outdid yourselves again. Those two little girls must have had a marvelous celebration, and I sure would have liked to have enjoyed that food. You go grandma. :-)

    ReplyDelete